Call of the Dragon
by Kakashi
Summary: A girl winds up on her favorite show with a new body and odd powers. She realizes she is the only one who can stop an evil monster from plunging every world into darkness. But even she needs help.
1. Destination Unknown

Call of the Dragon  
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Disclaimer: DBZ and everything about it does not belong to me. However, Kelli (who happens to be me), Kakarika, and the entire Alcoan race belong to me. If you want to use any of them, contact me at SnakeVnm8@aol.com asking permission. Also, the songs used in the chapters do not belong to me.  
  
Please Read and Review, I appreciate feedback!  
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CHAPTER I - DESTINATION UNKNOWN  
  
----------------  
I see life and it's passin' right before my eyes  
And the past is the past don't regret it, time to realize  
I need to walk on the wire just to catch my breath,  
I don't know how or where but I'm goin' it's all that I have left  
  
It don't matter where it takes me  
Long as I can keep this feeling runnin' through, my soul  
  
Never took this road before -- destination unknown  
Oh oh oh ohohoh -- destination unknown  
Won't be coming back this way gotta go it alone  
Oh oh oh ohohoh -- destination unknown  
  
See a chance gotta take it wanna meet my fate  
'Cause the last thing I ever wanted was to find out it's too late  
No way out when you're in it deeper than the night  
There's a light at the end of the tunnel and I see it burning bright  
  
It don't matter where it takes me  
Long as I can keep this feeling soarin' through, my soul  
  
Never took this road before -- destination unknown  
Oh oh oh ohohoh -- destination unknown  
Won't be comin' back this way gotta go it alone  
Oh oh oh ohohoh -- destination unknown  
----------------  
  
Kelli opened her eyes. The last thing she remembered was she had been watching Dragonball Z when a bright flash of light filled her vision. The next thing she knew, she was here, lying in an alley in a large city.  
  
She staggered to her feet and stepped out of the alley. Kelli was met by screams and strange looks. She gazed down at her feet to avoid their fearful gaze, and was met with a shock. She was barefoot, but that wasn't the worst of it! Her human feet were now gargoyle-like talons. She stood as though on tiptoes, but it seemed normal to her. Her tail and wings balanced it out. Wait a second, she thought, tail and wings? She glanced behind her, at the magnificent wings sprouting from her back. She tried moving one of the batlike, leathery limbs and found, much to her pleasing, that they moved with ease. She flicked her reptilian, purple and blue scaled tail side to side, smiling at how the streetlights made the scales sparkle and glitter.  
  
Reality hit her like a thunderbolt. She was in an alley in the middle of a city that sure didn't look like Portland, or even downtown Vancouver! She checked her watch, the digital LCD display read 11:45. The 15 year old girl yelled in surprise, startling a passerby. Kelli grabbed that passerby and slammed him against the wall.  
  
"Where is the nearest hotel?" Kelli snarled, surprised at her own aggressiveness.  
  
"W-we have n-no hotels nearby... but you can t-try the C-capsule C-corporation." The man stammered.  
  
Kelli released her death hold on his collar in surprise. The man took the opportunity and ran. Kelli shook her head, that man had just said the name of a place in her favorite TV show, Dragonball Z! She dashed down the street at amazing speed, rocketing past cars and blowing people's hats off. Suddenly, Kelli skidded to a stop in front of a large group of dome-shaped buildings with the words 'Capsule Corporation' displayed on the front of one.  
  
Keeping her wings readied behind her, she approached the building. She knocked on the door, and was relieved when she heard someone coming to open it.  
  
The door opened, revealing a very tired-looking woman with blue hair. Trying to hide her surprise at being greeted by Bulma from DBZ, she clasped her claws in front of her, gazing down at the porch.  
  
"H-hi... I'm kinda lost and I'm looking for a place to spend the night until I find out where I am and how to get home." Kelli looked up at Bulma. Bulma looked a little more awake once she had seen Kelli's brand-new wings and tail.  
  
"Come on in." Bulma smiled warmly, welcoming the strange girl into her house, "Let me show you to one of our guest rooms. What's your name?"  
  
"Ke-" Kelli realized that she couldn't tell people her true name, after all, she wasn't herself, "Kakarika."  
  
She had quickly decided on the name of a city in the Zelda games, with an 'A' to make it sound more like a girl's name. Bulma appeared not to have noticed her falter. They walked down several corridors, finally stopping at one door.  
  
"This is one of our many guest rooms. You're welcome to stay here as long as you like." Bulma smiled. Kelli/Kakarika opened the door and stepped into the spacious room.  
  
Bulma closed the door, saying, "I'll come get you when it's time for breakfast in the morning."  
  
As soon as Bulma had closed the door, she leaned against the wall, debating whether or not to trust this strange teenager with batlike wings and a reptilian tail. 


	2. Don't You Feel Small?

CHAPTER II - Don't You Feel Small?  
  
Author's Note: Sorry about taking so long to get this chapter up, I've been struggling with school and trying to get my grades up.  
  
--------------  
Ask the mirror on the wall,  
Who's the biggest fool of all.  
Bet you feel small,  
It happens to us all.  
  
See the world as what's it for,  
Understanding, nothing more.  
Don't you feel small,  
It happens to us all.  
  
Time is now to spread your voice,  
Time's to come, there'll be no choice.  
Why do you feel small?  
It happens to us all.  
  
Look at progress,  
Then count the cost.  
We'll spoil the seas,  
With the rivers we've lost.  
  
See the writing on the wall,  
Hear the mirror's warning call.  
That's why you feel small,  
It happens to us all.  
  
Ask the mirror on the wall,  
Who's the biggest fool of all.  
Bet you feel small,  
It happens to us all.  
---------------  
  
Vegeta tossed and turned in his bed, writhing and tangling the sheets. Usually the prince didn't dream at all, skipping past R.E.M sleep and reaching a point beyond. When he did dream, they were horrible nightmares that had him waking in a cold sweat. But this, for some odd reason, was worse than his normal nightmares.  
  
A horrible creature was rampaging through the inky darkness, pursuing him. He tried to turn around to see what the creature was, but as soon as he caught a glimpse of the dragon-like creature, it disappeared into the darkness. Suddenly, he found that he couldn't run at all. The shimmering mass of night erupted from the darkness, turning it into a calm, serene field filled with multicolored, sweet-smelling flowers. There, Vegeta could see the dragon and all its horrific beauty. It was a sparkling black, with blue, purple, and green scales here and there. Its eyes swirled in ever-changing colors. In the monster's shadow was a woman holding her children close, all three of them crying. At first, Vegeta saw them as just an everyday family, but then he saw who it really was. It was Bulma, Trunks, and Bra. The dragon was staring them down, acidic saliva dripping from its fang-filled mouth. Vegeta was powerless to stop the monster as it mercilessly ripped his family to shreds. Blood splattered on the tree trunk, staining the grass red.  
  
"Beauty is an illusion." The dragon spat upon the ground. Instantly, the beautiful scenery changed.  
  
The blue sky with fluffy white clouds turned into a brown sky with sickly greenish clouds. The wind carried the foul odor of death. He was no longer in a field, but rather in a city, or what was left of one. The buildings were broken and grown over with mildew and dead moss. Dead, bloated bodies were piled high in the cracked and wasted streets. As Vegeta dashed down the street, he recognized several of the bodies on the piles. Friends, family, people he had seen walking down the street. At the end of the road stood a girl with shoulder-length, dark green hair, with huge wings and a tail. She threw her head back and laughed maniacally.  
  
"Like my handiwork?" She smirked.  
  
Vegeta noticed with a shock that most of the bloated, bloody, broken forms were alive! Barely hanging on to life, they whimpered and groaned.  
  
"Bakamono..." Vegeta shuddered. He had killed before, but had never left them, piled in the streets, tortured and slowly dying.  
  
The girl smirked and threw Bra's body up on the pile. Vegeta turned and ran the opposite direction, but the girl's derisive laughter followed him.  
  
"Go back to the beginning, Vegeta." The girl laughed maniacally, "Back to where it all began. The beginning."  
  
Vegeta awoke.  
  
--------  
  
Bulma woke to the sound of Vegeta puking in the bathroom. She waited until he came out, and got up and walked over to him, looking concerned. Vegeta was pale and shaking violently, his eyes not focused on anything.  
  
Bulma touched his face gently, and Vegeta's eyes focused on hers. With a choked cry, Vegeta hugged Bulma.  
  
*Wow* Bulma thought, *That must have been one whopper of a nightmare.*  
  
Bulma smiled softly, "Come on, Veggie, I'll make you a big breakfast."  
  
Vegeta smiled evilly, back to his normal self, "No, you'll go to bed."  
  
Bulma shrieked playfully as Vegeta pushed her down on the bed, still smirking. Vegeta joined her, and the rest was history (not quite).  
  
--------  
  
Kakarika woke slowly, taking in her surroundings. She jumped out of bed, looking around wildly. With a cry of indignation, she flailed backward, falling on her rear on the floor. She turned around, glaring at her wings and tail, the painful reminders of her dimensional voyage. She pulled herself up, balancing precariously and wondering why her new limbs weren't so detrimental to her when she first arrived. Hell, she had run without tripping or stumbling once. She sighed and got dressed in her black karate uniform, tying the black bandana around her head. She brushed her hair until it shone, and then headed off to find the kitchen.  
  
--------  
  
When Vegeta and Bulma reached the kitchen, Kakarika was waiting for them, absently making appliances float around the room.  
  
Bulma cleared her throat, and Kakarika started, accompanied by several large clangs and bangs as the appliances dropped to the ground. Kakarika looked embarressed, and telepathically put them back.  
  
Bulma headed onward, getting out some pots and pans to cook breakfast, when she noticed that Vegeta hadn't sat down at the table. In fact, he was staring intently at Kakarika, his tail twitching. Kakarika raised an eyebrow at Vegeta.  
  
"What is this... this DEMON doing in MY house?!" Vegeta finally found his voice. He powered up to SSj1, and in the blink of an eye had reached Kakarika and lifted her into the air by her throat.  
  
"Vegeta!" Bulma protested, "She's a guest! I'm letting her stay here!"  
  
"Fool!" Vegeta snarled, "She's decieving you! I had a dream with this little wretch in it, and she caused horrible things! I won't let this little prophecy come true. I'll end this monster's life here and now."  
  
Kakarika choked out, "Don't I get a say in this? This is MY life we're talking about here!"  
  
Vegeta's grip on the girl's throat tightened, and her eyes flashed with ice. Then, in one swift motion, too fast for even a saiya-jin's eyes to see, Kakarika arched her tail over her head like a scorpion. The needle-like apparatus at the end of her tail easily pierced Vegeta's flesh, injecting a tranquilizer. The Alcoan dropped from Vegeta's limp grip, rubbing her throat.  
  
"What did you do?" Bulma shrieked.  
  
"He's just out cold. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to do anything!" Kakarika whined, "It just... slipped."  
  
But something had gone terribly wrong. Something Kakarika chose not to mention. When she attacked Vegeta, she had wanted to inject the killing acid, not the tranquilizer. She had gotten a sick pleasure out of stabbing her tail needle through Vegeta's neck. Her tail twitched in remembrance of the euphoria she felt when her tail impacted with the prince.  
  
Kakarika held her tail in her clawlike hands, staring at the sparkling scales, "What am I?" 


	3. Home of the Brave

Chapter III - Home of the Brave  
  
----------  
Everything's gonna be alright boys  
Help is on the way  
Hold your head up high now  
There's no need to cry now  
We're not running anymore  
  
Leave the politics behind boys  
They're not working anymore  
There's so much more at stake here  
It's make or break here  
Haven't we been here before  
Tell me what we're waiting for  
  
You gotta remember  
You don't have to be afraid  
You still have the freedom to learn  
And say what you wanna say  
You gotta remember  
Don't let 'em take away  
The land we call the home of the brave  
  
Who sings the song of the people  
You don't hear it anymore  
I heard it late last summer  
To the beat of a different drummer  
It never sounded quite like this before  
  
So you're trying to shake this feeling  
That trouble's right outside the door  
You lie awake each dark night  
Like a time bomb wound up too tight  
A storm in waiting just offshore  
Tell me what we're waiting for  
  
You gotta remember  
You don't have to be afraid  
You still have the freedom to learn  
And say what you wanna say  
You gotta remember  
Don't let 'em take away  
The land we call the home of the brave  
  
You gotta remember  
You don't have to be afraid  
You still have the freedom to learn  
And say what you wanna say  
You gotta remember  
Don't let 'em take away  
The land we call the home of the brave  
----------  
  
Kakarika searched through her bag, digging out various stuff such as her Game Boy, some books, her CD player, some CDs, some of her drawings, and a SNES controller that had gotten thrown into the mix. Suddenly, she came across a small item. Instinctively pushing a hidden button, a holographic image of a person with feathery wings and a silvery-white tail appeared.  
  
"Kelli." The person spoke Kakarika's mortal name, "If you are seeing this message, I can safely assume that you have reached the other dimension safely. Currently, you are in the form of an Alcoan, a sort of were-dragon, if you will. The Earth Eternal Dragon was in charge of sending you here, and will soon appear to you to confirm your mission. Something is afoot in this dimension, something only you can rectify. You must fight alongside the Z fighters and destroy this new menace. But know this, this menace cannot be defeated unless you know its name. Find its name, and you will have power over it. I warn you: this will not be easy, and you cannot go home until the beast is destroyed. Thusly, you will need to hone your abilities and train hard until the time comes to destroy this monster. There are three people who must accompany you. These three have the names Ssargon, Sierra, and Neo. Find them, and they will guide you. The knowledge your new form has must not fall into evil's hands. Protect the knowledge at all costs, for if you do not, it will mean the end of all life in all dimensions. Be careful who you trust. End message."  
  
The image fizzled out, leaving a very bewildered Kakarika.  
  
----------  
  
Several minutes later, Kakarika was still staring at the cube, wondering about this 'knowledge' the person spoke of. She was an expert on animals, and could pick out and name constellations and other celestial bodies like a professional astronomer, but she couldn't see how these skills could save several dimensions.  
  
Setting the cube on her nightstand, she dug through her backpack once again, finding objects she'd never seen in there before. These included, but were not limited to, a glittering egg, a five-star Dragonball, a box of capsules, and something that looked remarkably like a lightsaber. Sure enough, she depressed a button and a blade made of black light extended, with a deep purple core. The gently, soothing hum calmed her, her tense muscles relaxing.  
  
Suddenly there was a knock at her door. With a cry of surprise, she switched off the saber and threw everything back in her bag.  
  
"Come in, it's open!" Kakarika shouted.  
  
The door creaked open. Standing in the doorway was a very familiar face. It was Goku, dressed in his orange gi and everything, with a serious look on his face, an odd contrast to his normal goofy grin.  
  
"You must be Kakarika... Bulma told me that you have wings and a tail, and there can't be too many people around here like that." Goku smirked, "May I talk to you for a second?"  
  
Kakarika nodded, motioning for Goku to sit. Goku nodded obligingly and sat, staring at her.  
  
"Kakarika... Bulma told me about how you acted when Vegeta had you cornered. It's got her worried about what kind of person you are." Goku flinched at Kakarika's reaction.  
  
Kakarika stood swiftly, her tail poised to strike, her wings extended behind her, "So now I'm an assassin? What did you come here to do? Kill me?"  
  
Goku rose to placate her, "No no, that's not it at all! I'm here to talk, that's it."  
  
Kakarika snarled but sat. Goku followed her lead, continuing what he had been saying, "Now, I want to know exactly what was going through your mind during breakfast when Vegeta attacked you."  
  
Kakarika took a deep breath and started, "Well, I was still confused as to how I got here, and wondering how I'd get back. I was worried about my parents and how they must be looking all over for me. They've probably called all of my friends and now they're worried too. And I don't know how to get home, or if I ever will. Maybe this is Heaven... or Hell. Either way, when Vegeta attacked me, something deep inside of me snapped. Almost by instinct I struck. It was kinda like in a dream, where it happens slow-mo, and there's nothing you can do to stop it. I didn't want to harm him, but I couldn't control the strike. Therefore, it impacted. But I didn't feel upset about harming him, I felt... glad... a certain euphoria, almost sexual. It was like a hawk must feel after catching a mouse. I wanted to inject the killing acid, but at the same time, I didn't want to. Confused? So am I. Anyway, my good side won out, and all that was injected was a tranquilizer. At the time, I didn't even know my tail dagger could inject things. It's all so confusing. And just now I found a..."  
  
Kakarika stopped. The man had told her to be careful who she trusted. Goku seemed pretty trustworthy, but she couldn't be sure if he'd blab. So she fell silent. Goku seemed about to ask her something, but thought better of it. Kakarika felt acidic tears spill down her face, not harming her (surprisingly). They hit the carpeting and hissed as they ate away at the material.  
  
"I'm a *sniff* walking arsenal! Everything about *sniff* me is *sniff* a weapon!" Kakarika sobbed.  
  
"Come on, only children cry. You've got to be strong, be brave." Goku said reassuringly. He placed a hand on her shoulder, careful not to touch the acidic tears on her face.  
  
"I am a child!" Kakarika whimpered, "I'm a human child. My name is Kelli Erin McClary... I'm a 15 year old kid whose biggest worry is her grades! I want to go back home to my family... to my dog. I want to play my video games and read my books! I want to hug my parents goodnight and ask for puppy kisses from Angel (my dog)! Hell, I even miss my brother!"  
  
Goku sighed. He could fight maniacal power-hungry lizards, psychotic saiya-jin, near-immortal demons, and artificial humans created by a maniacal power-hungry scientist with a grudge. But seeing this deadly-looking teenager crying totally disarmed him.  
  
"Come on, 'Rika." Goku pleaded, "You're going to dissolve the whole floor."  
  
Kakarika tried to stop crying, realizing that Bulma might not like it if she melted the floor. She wiped her tears away with her scaly tail, the acid not bothering the metallic scales. After her face was dried, Kakarika's tail swept back majestically, the scales sparkling and glittering as the light hit it from many angles.  
  
"There's something evil headed this way, Goku. And I won't let my freedom get taken away. If there's one thing I'll fight for no matter what the odds, it's my freedom." Kakarika walked over to her backpack, taking out the egg and a small marble pedestal that somehow got in there.  
  
She set the pedestal on the nightstand next to the cube, delicately placing the color-shifting egg on it. She gently tapped the hard shell with a single claw, smirking softly as the colors shifted under her tap, almost as if it recognized her touch.  
  
Kakarika noticed that Goku had approached her, "Beautiful. What kind of creature will hatch out of it?"  
  
"Gryphagon." Kakarika said, before Goku's question even registered, "A dragon/griffin hybrid. Can transform into either one, or a combination of each."  
  
Goku nodded, realizing that Kakarika had responded according to her new form's knowledge. He decided to not mention it.  
  
"It's getting late." Kakarika said, still zombie-like, staring at the ever-changing colors of the egg, "ChiChi will be worried."  
  
Goku smiled and bid the lost girl farewell, putting two fingers to his forehead. Kakarika broke her gaze from the colorful, slightly glowing egg just in time to see Goku disappear. Just then, there was a knock on the door. It was Trunks, calling her for dinnertime. Kakarika patted the egg lovingly and dashed downstairs.  
  
-------------  
  
Kakarika was ravaging an elk carcass when Vegeta arrived. Since Alcoans are born carnivores, and herbivores on every other day, Kakarika was carnivorous on every odd-numbered day, since she was born on the 15th of December.  
  
Vegeta made a point of avoided Kakarika, shuddering visibly when her predatory eyes scanned him. While eating, Kakarika seemed to become almost feral, not letting anyone near her food. On herbivorous days, she was much more mellow. Vegeta sat down at the table as far away from the predator as saiya-jinly possible. Kakarika smirked, spitting a small vertabrae out at the prince. He caught it and crushed it in his hand.  
  
Suddenly, night fell. It wasn't gentle in its arrival. One minute it was a gorgeous sunset, the next it was pitch black. But the darkness wasn't natural. Instead, it was dead evil. There seemed to be some sort of menace behind it, something only Kakarika could sense. She snarled involuntarily, her 'lightsaber' appearing in her hand, summoned by some force she didn't know she had. Then, as suddenly as it had appeared, the darkness gave way to a midday light, even though it was still 8:00PM.  
  
Igniting her blade, Kakarika turned to the warriors Trunks and Vegeta, hissing, "It begins." 


	4. Through the Fire

Chapter IV - Through the Fire  
  
------------  
I will take it to the wire now  
Until every race is run  
I'll go straight into the fire now  
Until every day is done  
Voices say -- break away  
Live each night as if each moment  
Was the only one  
  
Through the fire  
To the wire  
When the night out of control  
Is breaking your heart  
Through the fire  
To the wire  
When the flames are burning hot  
They take you higher  
Through the fire  
  
There's a feeling that I can't ignore  
Like a stranger at my door  
So revealing that I cannot hide  
When you settle up the score  
Voices say -- night and day  
Live your life as if each second  
Was the final one  
  
Through the fire  
To the wire  
When the night out of control  
Is breaking your heart  
Through the fire  
To the wire  
When the flames are burning hot  
They take you higher  
  
I look for signs that you are here tonight  
When the passion calls the pleasure to the flame  
Then I ask you of the meaning when you talk of love  
Would you take the leap of faith?  
Would you throw it all away?  
  
Through the fire...  
-------------  
  
"What begins?" Vegeta snapped. Just then, one wall exploded in flames.  
  
"Element: Water!" Kakarika thrust out her hand (the one not holding the lightsaber) and summoned a torrent of water to douse the wall.  
  
"Um, 'Rika?" Trunks said shakily, "I hope you have a lot more water than that."  
  
It wasn't just the Capsule Corp. that was flaming. Heat comparable to an active volcano poured from every crevice of the city. Flames roared in Kakarika's ears, mingling with screams and the crash of falling buildings. The heat distorted the scene into wavy patterns, the smoke stinging the Alcoan's eyes and lungs. Kakarika's pack appeared behind her, and she stuffed her lightsaber into it, zipping the bag closed and slinging it on her back.  
  
"Get out of here!" Kakarika shouted. She broke into a dead run, her wings pinned to her back by the bag. The others followed.  
  
Kakarika burst out of the flaming building, Trunks and Bulma (carrying Bra) following.  
  
"Father's still in there!" Trunks yelled in a panic, preparing to run back into the flaming death-hole.  
  
Kakarika pulled Trunks back, tossing him her bag, "I think this is the perfect time for me to gain some of his trust."  
  
With that, Kakarika dashed into the inferno.  
  
------------  
  
Vegeta was trapped under a heavy beam, unconscious from the smoke. It was unusual for the prince to be in such a weak position, obviously something had been sapping his strength. He coughed weakly, praying silently for help.  
  
------------  
  
Kakarika turned another corner. The maze-like compound was huge, and several corridors were blocked by fallen debris. To blast them away only made more fall. Cursing, Kakarika was rapidly expending her energy for water blasts, getting nowhere and only making circles and backtracks. She had about 5 minutes to get Vegeta and get out.  
  
Finally, Kakarika reached a room where she noticed Vegeta trapped under a beam. She dared not call out to him, for not only would it take energy, but it would take time, which was obviously something Vegeta did not have. She grunted and strained, trying futilely to lift the heavy piece of metal. Finally, she got an idea. Her tail snaked around her body, positioning under the beam. With three limbs lifting, she still got zero results. Finally, she tried one final thing. With beams and flaming pieces of the ceiling crashing down around her, she flapped her wings and lifted off the ground. The beam lifted as well. With one mighty heave, Kakarika hurled the beam off to the side, picking up the unconscious saiya-jin.  
  
A sudden crash drew the Alcoan's attention. The way she had come was now blocked by some fallen shrapnel. She snarled angrily as she realized she had no more strength left to fire water at the flames. She gazed at the prince, gritting her teeth in frustration. She couldn't give up here, too much depended on her survival. She then looked upward at the steel-reinforced ceiling.  
  
*I have one chance. Just one, and it's risky. But I can't afford to be picky.* With that, Kakarika spread her wings to the full, crouching down a little.  
  
She flapped her wings mightily, launching into the air like a missile. Lowering her head, she bashed through the ceiling. Her flapping faltered and her vision blacked out temporarily. When she regained her senses, she noticed that she was still airborne, Trunks waving to her from the ground. She landed, concentrating her powers to get everyone out of the city.  
  
Her body glowed with a black light, her form shifting and changing. When the dark light faded, she was a dragon. A huge black dragon with some purple, blue, and green scales. It was the jeweled dragon that haunted Vegeta's nightmares.  
  
Vegeta's eyes flickered open weakly, "I knew it..." He sighed before passing out again.  
  
Kakarika the dragon pumped her wings as soon as all of the Briefs family had loaded onto her back. She swept low over the city, smiling toothily as person after person climbed up. Suddenly, a column of fire shot towards her. Not risking a roll, she turned her head to the side, blasting a column of water to counter the flames. The two impacted with a blast of steam. Still the dragon continued to fly, leaving the city.  
  
From atop a burning building, a deadly-looking creature snarled, "Soon, Kelli. Soon it all will come crashing down. Enjoy your victory while it lasts."  
  
-------------  
  
Kakarika landed in the outskirts of Satan City, watching as the citizens filed off of her back and onto the soft grass on the hill. They stood and watched their city, their home, burn. The wind carried the heat of the flames.  
  
It was hours until the fire died, revealing the once-proud city. The buildings looked like ancient ruins, the smoke still hung over the skeletons of the buildings, blotting out the sun. Kakarika's sharp dragon hearing caught the sound of many people crying.  
  
*They're just like I am, now.* Kakarika thought to herself, *We made it through the fire, but at what cost? Most of these people have no homes to go to. They're lost in this world now, just as I am.*  
  
Suddenly, burning white dots exploded in front of her eyes. She involuntarily roared, catching everyone's attention. With a feral roar, she whirled around to face her attacker.  
  
It was Vegeta. He was standing shakily on his feet, panting from the exertion of firing the ki blast.  
  
She stalked quickly towards him, roaring, "I save your life and this is how you repay me?!!"  
  
As she finished her hate-born sentence, she ended up in Vegeta's face, rank, icy breath blasting from her mouth and nostrils.  
  
Vegeta didn't flinch, but rather replied icily, "You burned my home to the ground, tried to kill my family. Then you decide to play the hero so no one will know."  
  
"Why do you insist that I'm evil?!!!" Kakarika twisted her neck to the left, blasting ice shards towards a tree. As soon as the attack hit, the tree was coated in ice.  
  
Kakarika's tone lowered to a menacing whisper, "Do you think I could have caused that fire if all I can control is water? I have no quarrel with your family, in fact, I am in deeply in their debt for taking me in when I had no place to go. You, however..."  
  
With that said, Kakarika issued a dragon-sized snort and reversed the transformation, becoming her Alcoan self again, "I think we got off on the wrong foot. You need to lighten up. I may be a stranger, but I'm certainly not here to destroy the planet."  
  
Vegeta looked skeptical. Kakarika sighed and continued, "If I wanted you dead, I could have left you in the building to die of smoke inhalation. Even better, I COULD have let Trunks go in after you, and have him die too. And still better... when I stung you with my tail, I could have killed you then. An Alcoan's tail dagger can inject one of two substances. A tranquilizer, which I used on you, or a killing acid. If I would have used that acid, it'd be bye-bye Vegeta. But I didn't."  
  
Vegeta shrugged coldly, "Simple miscalculation."  
  
Kakarika snarled viciously, grabbing Vegeta by the throat, "I could kill you right now, I could. I could wrench your head from your body and stuff it up your ass. I could pull out your intestines and hang you from that tree by them. I could turn your insides to ice... literally. I could break every bone in your body and leave you to die slowly. I could. But I won't."  
  
She hurled Vegeta back towards his family, laughing evilly, "As I said, I'm not here to kill anyone. I didn't start the fire, but someone did. There are is someone else we should be fighting, instead of each other. Round up the others, meet me here. There are things to be said, that I think need to be said."  
  
Vegeta smirked evilly, activating his ki. He flew off, to find the others. Kakarika watched until he was merely a dot in the sky.  
  
*Now, now all we have to do is plan, and then wait.* Kakarika thought. 


	5. Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again

Chapter V - Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again  
  
--------------  
You were once  
My one companion...  
You were all that mattered.  
  
You were once  
A friend and father -  
Then my world was shattered  
  
Wishing you were somehow here again...  
Wishing you were somehow near...  
Sometimes it seemed,  
If I just dreamed,  
Somehow you would  
Be here...  
  
Wishing I could hear your voice again...  
Knowing that I never would...  
Dreaming of you,  
Won't help me to do,  
All that you dreamed  
I could...  
  
Passing bells  
And sculpted angels,  
Cold and monumental,  
Seem, for you,  
The wrong companions -  
You were warm and gentle...  
  
Too many years  
Fighting back tears...  
Why can't the past  
Just die?  
  
Wishing you were somehow here again...  
Knowing we must say goodbye...  
Try to forgive,  
Teach me to live,  
Give me the strength  
To try...  
  
No more memories  
No more silent tears  
No more gazing across  
The wasted years...  
  
Help me say...  
goodbye...  
----------------  
  
Kakarika walked over to ice-coated tree, digging through her backpack. She drew out a small packet containing pictures of each member of her family. She leaned against the icy trunk, gazing at the pictures. A single tear fell from her eye as she realized that she may never see them again.  
  
"Nice-looking family." Trunks said from over her shoulder.  
  
Kakarika jumped and started to put the pictures back in her bag. Trunks grabbed her arm, "It's alright. I can understand how you feel. I don't know what I'd do without my family... although I wouldn't mind getting rid of Father."  
  
Kakarika chuckled, and Trunks sat down next to her, "You're pretty brave, you know that? You ran into a flaming building just to rescue someone who hates you. I know you're not evil. And don't worry about Father, he's like that. He doesn't trust anyone, not even Goku... well, especially not Goku. He wants to kill him."  
  
Kakarika looked over at Trunks, "I know. Where I come from, you are all cartoon characters, on a TV show. If you ever went to my dimension, you'd be very well-known. I know a lot more about you than you would think... much more than you know about me. I didn't tell anyone else that because, well, frankly, I don't think they'd be too comfortable knowing that. This body that I'm in? It's a creature I dreamed up a long time ago, an Alcoan. I guess when I was transferred into this dimension, I got stuck in this body. Not that I mind, I've always dreamed about flying."  
  
Trunks looked down at the ground, "So... we're just cartoon characters? That's pretty hard to swallow. Can you prove it?"  
  
Kakarika shook her head, "Well, yes and no. I could tell you a lot about most of the Z fighters, and their adventures in general. But I can't back up the fact that in my world, you're all cartoon characters. I don't think I brought a tape with me."  
  
"Well, how about Piccolo?" Trunks smiled, "Tell me about him."  
  
"Piccolo was 'born' when Piccolo Daimou spat out an egg after being defeated by young Goku. Piccolo was born to hate Goku, and to destroy Goku (seems that seems to be a lot of peoples' goals). He was defeated in the Tenkachi Budoukai by none other than Goku. They teamed up again to defeat Raditz, whom Piccolo defeated with his Makankosappo. Anyway, afterwards, Piccolo decided to train Gohan. Lesse, Piccolo was destroyed when he jumped in front of an energy beam meant for Gohan... would you like me to continue?"  
  
Trunks shook his head, his eyes wide, "Wow, you really do know a lot about us. Piccolo would never tell his history to anyone, especially a stranger. Who all have you met in this dimension?"  
  
Kakarika sighed, "Just you, your family, and Goku. I'd like to meet the others soon."  
  
Suddenly, a bright flash of light lit the sky. Everyone turned to look at the source. From the middle of the fire-destroyed city, a multicolored beam had erupted. The light opened up, sweeping across the graveyard. Wherever it touched, that area was restored to the way it had been.  
  
"The egg!" Kakarika shouted, "The egg's doing that!"  
  
As if on cue, a magnificent dragon rose from the ashes, with gorgeous feathered wings and intelligent, piercing eyes. It whistled in low tones, flying towards the hill. As it landed, it swept its wings up, bowing.  
  
*I am Neo Shenron.* The dragon said telepathically, *I felt the danger to my master, as well as the fear of the other people. I knew that I was needed. That is why I am here.*  
  
Kakarika nodded, unexpected tears springing to her eyes, "Are... are you MY dragon?"  
  
Neo Shenron smirked, showing long pointed fangs that somehow made it seem more magnificent, *For the time being. But I am not a pet. I am a friend, a companion, an ally. I am here to help the fight against the Evil.*  
  
Neo Shenron glowed, becoming smaller and smaller, until he was no larger than a robin. He slithered up Kakarika's shoulder, perching on it.  
  
*Comfortable.* Neo Shenron commented, smoothing out the wrinkles in her gi.  
  
"Ouch! No digging!" Kakarika shouted as Neo Shenron's claws started digging into her shoulder.  
  
Without warning, an orange light started pulsing in her backpack. She dug into her bag and pulled out the five-star Dragonball.  
  
"What's this? It's... glowing!" Kakarika hissed sharply.  
  
"That means another one is nearby!" Trunks said, excited, "Let's go get it!"  
  
Kakarika held the dragonball above her head, chanting something in a strange language that sounded a lot like birdsong. The dragonball glowed brighter and brighter, the light splitting into six beams that flew off in seperate directions. All the birds nearby lifted their voices, and the sound of wolves howling filled the air. Neo Shenron lifted his little head and whistled in a sound like a cross between whalesong and a flute. From the six beams of light, six dragonballs traveled, riding the beams like glowing highways. With a loud clack like marbles smacking together, accompanied by a brilliant flash of blue-white lightning, the seven dragonballs fell to the ground in a cluster.  
  
"What did you do?" Trunks said, awed, "They're all here!"  
  
*Mmmm...* Neo Shenron nodded approvingly, *Eternal Summon, the Alcoan's Gift.*  
  
Kakarika's vision blurred, darkness closing in. The last thing she remembered was Neo Shenron's squeal of protest before it launched off of her shoulder. Trunks swept in to catch her, but she was already unconscious before impact.  
  
--------------  
  
"You were once, my one companion... you were all that mattered..." A sad-sounding voice sang.  
  
Kakarika, no, Kelli looked around. She was in a graveyard, a fog hanging low over the chilly place. She walked towards the sound of the voice.  
  
There, kneeling before a grave, was herself. Her Alcoan self.  
  
"You were once, a friend and father... then my world was shattered..." The person continued.  
  
Kelli raised her voice into her natural soprano, "Wishing you were somehow here again..."  
  
The Alcoan turned, and sang, "Wishing you were somehow near..."  
  
"Sometimes it seemed..."  
  
"If I just dreamed..."  
  
Here, the two lifted their voices together, "Somehow you would, be here."  
  
The Alcoan, Kakarika, stood, "This is the Dark World, Kelli. Where all negative thoughts and feelings go."  
  
"And why are you here?" Kelli asked, looking around at the misty landscape, "This place is so... dismal."  
  
"You've shunned me, Kelli. Until you can learn to embrace me as you, until we become one, the evil that threatens the universe cannot be conquered." Kakarika sighed sadly, "This world is not evil... it's actually more sad than evil. To defeat this monster, the Dark World and the Light World must become one. Dragon and human must rise to face Armageddon."  
  
"Armageddon? The end of the world?" Kelli started.  
  
"When this evil rises to face you, Kelli, the world will end." Kakarika nodded.  
  
"But... but then what's the point of fighting at all if the world is doomed anyway?" Kelli said. She shook her head slowly, trying to comprehend it all.  
  
"Kelli. Always trying to find explanations. One simple reason lies in this battle... survival. The world will end, and the battle will be held in the Realm of Shadows, the evil's home turf. If you win, then... well, I'm not sure what will happen. But if you lose... let's just make sure you don't lose. That WE don't lose. Friends are a valuable thing, strengthen them, make them powerful bonds. Those bonds will ultimately win the day." Kakarika smiled, holding out a claw to Kelli.  
  
Kelli grasped the Alcoan's claw. A brilliant white light blossomed like a flower above them. Kelli and Kakarika flapped their wings, rising to meet the challenge.  
  
"Go back to the beginning... back to where it all began." A whispered voice called.  
  
The two warriors flew into the light, never looking back.  
  
-------------------  
  
"Hey, she's coming to!" A voice. Goku? No, it sounded younger, teenager-like.  
  
Kakarika struggled out of the darkness that had enveloped her very being. It was like swimming through tar. The sticky darkness clung to her wings, her tail, trying to pull her back down to the abyss. Finally, Kakarika forced her eyes open.  
  
A teenager that looked almost exactly like Goku was staring down at her. She sat up quickly and was rewarded by severe dizziness. Her stomach roiled, and she almost passed out again. She moaned softly, sliding back against the headboard. But she had seen what she wanted to see. Several of the Z Fighters were sitting nearby, gazing at her. Kakarika struggled to a sitting position, ignoring the wave of dizziness.  
  
"Ah, so the little lizard is awake. About damn time." Kakarika recognized Vegeta's voice. She snarled and a huge ice cube dropped on the saiya-jin's head.  
  
Kakarika looked suddenly from Goku to the younger version of Goku, "Eh? Goku? And... Goku?"  
  
"No," The teenage Goku laughed, "I'm Goten, Goku's second son."  
  
Kakarika smacked herself on the head, "Duh, stupid me. Of course you're Goten... I guess I kinda forgot."  
  
Goten smiled in the ditzy fashion just like his father. Kakarika looked around at all the others.  
  
"The reason I called you all here is because of why I'm here." Kakarika started, "I was sent here from my dimension to stop an evil monster from destroying life as we know it. I realize now that my summoning the dragonballs was for a reason. We need to keep them all, not summoning Shenron."  
  
Her last words caused the others to look at one another, confused. Kakarika suddenly looked around, startled.  
  
"Where's Neo Shenron?" She sifted through the sheets, looking around in a panic.  
  
"If you mean the little lizard that was with you, he's dangling from the ceiling fan." Vegeta smirked.  
  
Kakarika looked up, to see Neo Shenron dangling from one of the fan's blades by his tail.  
  
"Hello 'Rika." Neo Shenron said, waving a claw.  
  
"Neo Shenron, I thought I'd lost you!" Kakarika smiled, relieved.  
  
"Such a long name. Just call me Neo." The little dragon waved his claw dismissively, dropping down onto Kakarika's lap.  
  
"That is soooo Matrix." Kakarika laughed.  
  
"What?" Neo looked confused.  
  
"Nothing, Keanu Reeves." Kakarika smirked.  
  
Neo Shenron looked even more confused, "Who?"  
  
"Follow the White Rabbit." Kakarika was thoroughly enjoying this.  
  
"What white rabbit?!" Neo shenron started clawing at his mane in frustration.  
  
"The red pill or the blue pill?" Kakarika laughed maniacally.  
  
Neo pointed a claw at Kakarika, "That's enough! You're confusing me!"  
  
Kakarika wiped a tear from her eye, "Okay, I've confuse you enough."  
  
"Will you get on with the fucking story already?!" Vegeta yelled, "I did not come here to sit around and watch you play with that damn lizard!"  
  
"Right," Kakarika sighed, "I guess I should go back to the beginning. Back to where it all began." 


	6. The Balance

Chapter VI - The Balance  
  
AUTHOR'S NOTE: This part shows the first sign of AU. This takes place after the Cell Saga, but Mirai Trunks is not there, Gohan is 20 but has not yet met Videl, Trunks and Goten are 15, and Goku is still alive.  
  
--------------------  
After he had journeyed,  
And his feet were sore,  
And he was tired.  
He came upon an orange grove,  
And he rested.  
And he lay in the cool.  
And while he rested,  
He took to himself an orange and tasted it,  
And it was good.  
And he felt the earth to his spine,  
And he asked.  
And he saw the tree above him,  
And the stars,  
And the veins in the leaf,  
And the light,  
And the balance,  
And he saw magnificent perfection,  
Whereon he thought of himself in balance,  
And he knew who he was.  
  
Just open your eyes and realize,  
The way it's always been.  
Just open your mind and you will find,  
The way it's always been.  
Just open your heart,  
And that's a start.  
  
And he thought of those he angered,  
For he was not a violent man.  
And he thought of those he hurt,  
For he was not a cruel man.  
And he thought of those he frightened,  
For he was not an evil man.  
And he understood,  
He understood himself.  
Upon this he saw that when he was of anger,  
Or knew hurt,  
Or felt fear,  
It was because he was not understanding.  
And he learned compassion.  
And with his eye of compassion,  
He saw his enemies like unto himself.  
And he learned love.  
And then, he was answered.  
  
Just open your eyes and realize,  
The way it's always been.  
Just open your mind and you will find,  
The way it's always been.  
Just open your heart,  
And that's a start.  
-----------------------  
  
"You thought you could cast out the darkness and strengthen the light, but you were wrong. The stronger the light grew, the stronger the darkness became. I have been to the Dark World, I have seen it. The beauty of this world is an illusion built to hide the shadows. I was sent to be the balance of light and darkness. There are two waning dark powers in this world. Those two are you, Vegeta and Piccolo. However, your darkness has been giving way to light, thus disrupting the balance." Kakarika began.  
  
"Are you saying they should go back to being evil and destroying things?" Gohan interrupted, a note of anger in his voice.  
  
"No no, that's not it at all. Just as I am a servant of the Dark Power, those two are as well. It was determined by the Fates when they were born. They have been shunning their heritage, forgetting what they were born to be. Vegeta, your Final Flash is an attack born of the Light Power, that is why it drains your energy so much. The Dark Power is not evil, it is merely... dark. Just as the shadows of a sunny day... are those evil? Compassion, love, those belong to both the Light and the Dark Powers. I was sent to be the balance, as I said. And when the time comes, it will be too late to choose sides. Pick your affiliation, and start training under that." With that, Kakarika stepped out, leaving the others stupefied.  
  
---------------------  
later on that day...  
---------------------  
  
Kakarika was digging through her backpack once again, taking out objects that had seemingly magically appeared. She dug out a small handheld communicator, which instantly switched on once she had it in her claws.  
  
A middle-aged man appeared on the screen. Kakarika recognized it as the man from the cube that had sent her the original message.  
  
"Hello, Kelli." The man said, "Feeling well?"  
  
"Yes..." Kakarika snarled, "What do you want?"  
  
"To talk, Kelli..." The man smiled, "Just to talk..."  
  
----------------  
  
Vegeta had been thinking. Maybe Kakarika wasn't so bad after all... she sure was a hell of a lot better than Cell or Frieza. Hell, maybe she could actually be telling the truth... though all that alternate dimension shit was surely hard to swallow. Vegeta was going to go *shudder* apologize to her for acting the way he had. The nightmare he had had was very possibly this evil's idea of a plot to keep him from trusting 'Rika. Vegeta stopped at Kakarika's door, listening. He heard her conversing with someone. The prince decided to listen for a while.  
  
----------------  
  
"You've been getting too close to the Z Fighters. They are just allies, not friends. I advise you to keep your distance. You're telling them too much." The man said.  
  
"I trust them." Kakarika snarled.  
  
"Don't. Don't trust them. They'll only get in your way when you have to kill them to use your ultimate attack." The old man sighed, "As to who I am, I am Aladar, the person who sent you on this miserable quest."  
  
Kakarika was about to say something when Aladar continued, "You need to find your elemental gemstone. It looks like this."  
  
Aladar's image was replaced by the image of a polygon shimmering blue, decorated with what looked like droplets of water contained in the gem. Next to that appeared a dark purple gemstone, with swirling black and purple inside of it.  
  
"The one on the left is the Water Gem, it harnesses the power of Water. The one one the right is the Cosmos Gem, it harnesses the power of the Cosmos." Aladar's voice came through.  
  
Kakarika was mesmorized, touching the screen lightly, in a daze, "An Icosahedron and a Dodecahedron... beautiful."  
  
"You must use these two gems to destroy the Z Fighters, steal their power, and destroy the evil." Aladar said seductively.  
  
Vegeta chose that moment to enter.  
  
-----------------  
  
Vegeta burst into the room, powered up and ready to kill.  
  
"So, you wanted to gain our trust and then wipe us out?" Vegeta raged. The screen went black and Kakarika snapped out of her revirie.  
  
"No, Vegeta! I never intended that! This is news to me as well! I wanted to befriend you guys, not kill you!" Kakarika, despite the fact that her power made Vegeta's look like a kitten's, she was shaking. Not from fear, but from anger. Anger at herself, at Aladar, at Vegeta, at the world in general.  
  
Vegeta stopped, looking at Kakarika. She sighed heavily, and Vegeta noticed tears in her eyes.  
  
"Come on, kid... I'm..." Vegeta struggled to say the word he had avoided his entire life, "I'm... sorry."  
  
"That wasn't so hard, was it?" Kakarika laughed, but the tone wasn't one of glee or relief, but held a hysterical note to it.  
  
Vegeta, struggling between emotions and his own typical attitude, held Kakarika in his arms, "Come on, kid... we'll get through this, somehow. Stop crying."  
  
Kakarika sighed, pulling away from the saiya-jin, "I can't bring myself to kill any of you, but I realize that in order to use my ultimate attack, I have to destroy you all and take your power. This monster knows it too, that's why he's trying to kill you Z Fighters. If I were to leave, it's a good bet that he'd follow me. That way you'd all be safe."  
  
"You can't leave, Kakarika." Vegeta sighed, "Much as I'd love to see you out of here and out of my life, I understand that we need you to destroy this creature. Us Dark Power servants need to stick together."  
  
Kakarika smirked, "Somehow I thought you were a little more evil than you're acting right now."  
  
"We're very much the same, lizard." Vegeta smirked, "We're both dark fighters who are lost in this world, just wandering around and looking for our destiny. I know what it's like to be alone, without a family or a home, just trying to find a way out of this nightmare come true. We're like two shooting stars, kid, and nothing can stop us from reaching our goal."  
  
Kakarika smirked, "Good, now go train or something, and create some Dark attacks. We'll need them if we want out of this nightmare."  
  
-----------------  
  
Kakarika tied her bandana tightly around her head, gazing out at the sunny, clear day. She took a look at the pictures of her family that she had shown Trunks earlier. She had noticed earlier that they had changed. They too had wings and a tail, just like her new form. Somehow, they didn't look like her family anymore. A lonely tear ran down her cheek.  
  
*I know what it's like to be alone, without a family or a home...* Vegeta had said. But he didn't know what she was feeling, because she hadn't told them yet.  
  
She hadn't told the others how she had a family and a home, but was torn away from them against her will. She couldn't even recall their voices. Her brother had once said to get a tape player and record his voice saying different phrases such as "Hello", "I Love You", and other things so that he wouldn't have to say them again. Now, this didn't seem like such a bad idea. What Kakarika wouldn't have given to hear Shawn say her name, even to tell her to shut up.  
  
A streak of black light zipped past her window, startling Kakarika. She narrowed her eyes in annoyance, teleporting outside.  
  
-----------------  
  
Vegeta had just created a new attack he called Kural Flash. It turned out to be twice as powerful as his Final Flash, but drained much less power. Vegeta, pleased with himself for developing such a powerful attack, had been practicing it over and over. Suddenly, he was interrupted by Kakarika appearing inches away from his face.  
  
"When I said to practice, I didn't say RIGHT OUTSIDE MY WINDOW!!" Kakarika roared the last four words, the decibals pounded at the saiya-jin's sensitive eardrums like a timpani.  
  
Vegeta merely smirked and started concentrating his power to a single ki blast, "Kural... FLASH!"  
  
The dark beam of pure energy ripped through the air, straight towards the Alcoan. Kakarika snarled, her wings glowing with a purplish light akin to that of a black light.  
  
"Black Wing!" Her wings flapped hard, curling around in front of her light a shield. Not only did the wings protect Kakarika's body, but they also sent out a sort of shock wave made of ki, flattening Vegeta to the ground and obliterating his attack.  
  
Vegeta stood up, dusting himself off and cursing in Saiya-go, calling Kakarika several names that included "damn lizard", "creepy reptile", "winged whore", and "flying asshole", among others. Kakarika merely yawned and flew back inside, muttering about "moronic monkey princesses" (thank you DaSSJVegeta420!).  
  
Vegeta snapped to attention hearing that particular insult. He whirled around, but a greenish claw clamped over his mouth. Vegeta powered up, but felt a heavy collar clamp around his neck. His power dropped to just enough to keep him alive. The prince yelled, but the sound was muffled by the creature's claw. Suddenly, something hit against the back of his head. Bright lights exploded in front of his eyes shortly before darkness rushed in to claim Vegeta.  
  
-------------------  
  
Dinnertime came, with no word from Vegeta. Bulma wasn't worried, however. She stated simply that he often was nowhere to be seen when she was cooking. Kakarika, having hunted her meals earlier, decided to give Bulma's cooking a whirl. However, after hearing that the temperamental saiya-jin avoided her during dinnertime, the young Alcoan was beginning to wonder just what she had gotten herself into.  
  
After several small fires (conveniently put out by Kakarika), thousands of curses compliments of Bulma, and complete embarassment for Trunks, dinner was served. It was impossible to tell what it was, because it looked like tentacles in toe-jam sauce with a side of earwax, and smelled even worse. Dessert looked like belly-button lint and smelled like a rotting corpse. Kakarika poked at one of the tentacle-looking things with a fork, half expecting it to reach up and grab her fork from her claws. Having completed her analysis, concluding that the meal was, in fact, dead, she sliced off a chunk and speared it onto her fork. Hesitating only for a moment, she shoved it into her mouth. An incredibly horrible taste filled her mouth. So as not to insult Bulma, she swallowed it and gave her a strained smile.  
  
"Well?" Bulma asked.  
  
"... Good... !" Kakarika said, not very convincingly.  
  
"Don't encourage her." Trunks said dryly. Bulma shot Trunks a deadly glare.  
  
"You sound just like your father... and speaking of Vegeta, where is he?" Bulma sounded worried, "He's not in the gravity room."  
  
Trunks waved his hand dismissively, "He's probably sparring with Goku."  
  
Bulma sighed, "Those two..."  
  
But Kakarika knew in her heart that something was wrong. Her dark powers were strengthening, and she couldn't sense Goku or any of the other Light Powers. Night had fallen, and it was still way too early. Kakarika frowned. Something was wrong, the balance of power had somehow been shifted to the Dark Side (no, not Star Wars).  
  
"Stay in the house, Bulma." Kakarika said in a low voice, "Trunks, you come with me."  
  
Startled at Kakarika's change of attitude, Trunks nodded and followed Kakarika out the door and into the night. 


	7. Holding Out for a Hero

Chapter VII - Holding Out for a Hero  
  
---------------  
Where have all the good men gone  
And where are all the gods?  
Where's the street-wise Hercules  
To fight the rising odds?  
Isn't there a white knight upon a fiery steed?  
Late at night I toss and I turn and dream of what I need  
  
I need a hero  
I'm holding out for a hero 'til the end of the night  
He's gotta be strong  
And he's gotta be fast  
And he's gotta be fresh from the fight  
I need a hero  
I'm holding out for a hero 'til the morning light  
He's gotta be sure  
And it's gotta be soon  
And he's gotta be larger than life  
  
Somewhere after midnight  
In my wildest fantasy  
Somewhere just beyond my reach  
There's someone reaching back for me  
Racing on the thunder and rising with the heat  
It's gonna take a superman to sweep me off my feet  
  
I need a hero  
I'm holding out for a hero 'til the end of the night  
He's gotta be strong  
And he's gotta be fast  
And he's gotta be fresh from the fight  
I need a hero  
I'm holding out for a hero 'til the morning light  
He's gotta be sure  
And it's gotta be soon  
And he's gotta be larger than life  
  
Up where the mountains meet the heavens above  
Out where the lightning splits the sea  
I would swear that there's someone somewhere  
Watching me  
  
Through the wind and the chill and the rain  
And the storm and the flood  
I can feel his approach  
Like the fire in my blood  
  
I need a hero  
I'm holding out for a hero 'til the end of the night  
He's gotta be strong  
And he's gotta be fast  
And he's gotta be fresh from the fight  
I need a hero  
I'm holding out for a hero 'til the morning light  
He's gotta be sure  
And it's gotta be soon  
And he's gotta be larger than life  
------------------  
  
Vegeta struggled to open his eyes. His vision blurred, then righted itself. He was suspended from the wall, manacled like a common prisoner. His head throbbing, the saiya-jin prince pulled at the chains.  
  
Thousands of volts of electricity shot through his body. He gritted his teeth and continued to attempt to free himself, but the more he struggled, the more painful the electricity got, until Vegeta's body screamed at him to stop. By the time he gave up, his body and clothes were smoking. He dangled limply from the chains.  
  
"I didn't expect the prince of the saiya-jin to give up without a fight." A hissing voice spoke from the shadows.  
  
Vegeta dimly noticed that the dripping that he had thought to be water was actually his own blood. His body had been beaten and slashed, and his heart pounded sluggishly in his ears. He noticed the creature standing in front of him, but didn't recognize it. It was a green-brown color, with a beak, two frontswept horns, a longish neck, blades on its wrists, elbows, knees, and tail. (Author's note: This is a Hork-Bajir from the Animorphs). The flesh around its beak was curved upward in a sort of sinister smirk.  
  
"What do you want?" Vegeta said weakly, "Why did you kidnap me?"  
  
"You seem to be sharing a bond with your new houseguest. I am a Dark Power, such as yourself. In order for me to be the strongest in the universe, I must eradicate the other Dark Powers. I also must grab the five Elemental Gems... and you are my ransom. I will get the gems in exchange for your life." The creature smirked.  
  
"Who are you?" Vegeta whispered as he felt the darkness beckoning to him once again.  
  
"That is for Kakarika to decide." The creature's eyes swirled with several colors. Vegeta felt himself being pulled into their depths. His eyes closed.  
  
The creature chuckled. A hole, black on black, opened up in the floor. The creature was pulled into the black hole, into the Dark Realm.  
  
-----------  
  
Vegeta awoke a while later, his body feeling worse than Frieza's frequent punishments had been when he had been a "mercenary" for him. He looked around, noting the skeletons hanging by their wrists from the wall. At first, he paid them no mind... until he saw one of them. It was an Alcoan, chained to the wall not only by its hands and feet, but by its wings and tail as well. It had a shorter tail and stubbier wings than Kakarika, but it instantly brought back a memory of what had happened earlier.  
  
*Dream Sequence*   
Kakarika and the creature were standing in front of him, repeating something they had each said before...  
  
Creature - "In order for me to be the strongest in the universe, I must eradicate the other Dark Powers."  
  
Kakarika - "I was sent to be the balance of light and darkness. There are two waning dark powers in this world. Those two are you, Vegeta and Piccolo. However, your darkness has been giving way to light, thus disrupting the balance."  
*End Dream Sequence*  
  
Vegeta was confused. If "the creature" (as he had taken to calling it) wiped out all the other Dark Powers, the balance of power would shift to the Light Side, therefore weakening him. It was like his own old ambition to be the only Super Saiya-jin... but now that he thought of it, it was better to have others at the same level as him, so the pressure wouldn't be entirely on him.  
  
"So, you're confused by my methods?" It was the creature. He materialized out of the shadows, in the form of an Elemental.  
  
***  
Author's Note: An Elemental is a spirit, a ghost, if you will. The one I am referring to has been sighted in a place called Leap Castle (pronounced Lep). It has a red face that's decayed and looks as though it was burned. It is about the size of a sheep, with burned black hair sticking out in all directions. Its nose is turned up somewhat like a pig's nose, and its mouth is toothless, bloated. It gives off a sickly sweet odor, like that of burning and decaying flesh, and also gives off a harsh sense of evil.  
***  
  
"I won't simply destroy you, I'll 'harvest' your power, use it to strengthen my own Dark Power. You will be dead, but the Dark Power that you hold inside yourself will remain... with me. So will it be with Kakarika... and Piccolo. With the Dark Power concentrated within one mass, it will be strengthened. This will cause the Light Power to be eliminated, sending the universe into a violent upheaval, thus twisting Reality itself. This universe will cease to be, and the Shadow Realm will reign. The other dimensions are intertwined, and thusly, they will follow suit. Every being in every dimension will be trapped in a universe similar to the Dead Zone. There will be no escape. Those able to adapt will become Daemons, a simple term used to describe a creature of darkness. They will serve me, the ruler of the Shadow Realm. It will be glorious... of course, you won't live long enough to see it."  
  
"Neither will you." Vegeta smirked maliciously, "Not when Kakarika gets through with you."  
  
"Yes, yes... the girl. She has the potential to become a problem. I remember her little escapade with the fire... I hadn't expected she'd learn how to use her elemental abilities so quickly, nor did I count on the ability to become that... dragon. And let's not count out the unexpected appearance of that Neo Shenron, manifested from the power of the Dragonballs. But that fire was just the beginning! The beautiful destruction... I will tear apart your world! And there's nothing anyone can do to save you... I will return to the Capsule Corporation, assuming your form. I will then destroy Kakarika while she sleeps." The creature laughed.  
  
"You really think they'll buy it? You may be able to look like me, but you'll never BE like me. I give it one minute before my family and/or friends take you for a fraud and go looking for the real me." Vegeta sneered.  
  
The creature's decayed hand shot forward, becoming a long whip made of pure darkness right before Vegeta's eyes. It wrapped around Vegeta's leg and viciously yanked him from the wall. The chains tore at Vegeta's hands, nearly ripping them out. The creature expanded, becoming a huge mass of darkness with a gaping red mouth and two gleaming red eyes. Vegeta's body hit the cold stone floor. The black whip withdrew from Vegeta's ankle and snaked towards the prince's throat.  
  
"You underestimate me, little princeling. I am capable of far more than you can possibly imagine. I almost regret that you won't live long enough to see the new universe I will create... but imagine! You will be part of perfection!" The creature said triumphantly.  
  
"I know someone who said the exact same thing... but he's dead right now." Vegeta chuckled.  
  
Vegeta's cocky attitude turned to dead fear as he felt the cold tendril of darkness wrap around his throat. With a deadly chuckle, the creature lifted Vegeta up.  
  
"When you lose consciousness, your life force will be absorbed into mine... and then it will begin. I will destroy your universe, plunge it into darkness. Then, little one, I will rule, as I have been destined to. And your family and friends... they will serve... serve ME." The black tendril tightened around Vegeta, and the saiya-jin choked. He tried to struggle, but realized that his energy was still drained from his earlier beating.  
  
Then came the three words that Vegeta found the most beautiful words ever, "On second thought..."  
  
Vegeta felt a sharp pain tear through his body as the creature hurled him to the floor, "Perhaps for now you are more useful to me alive. I have had a vision, just now. This vision prompts me to keep you alive. You are the controller of the tetrahedron, the Fire Gem... is it possible that you are the Fire Elemental? If so, you could be VERY useful to me... I could force you to reveal the location of the Fire Gem, then part of my plan would already be completed... then all I'd need was four gems." The creature was babbling.  
  
"So you're going to just leave me here?" Vegeta croaked, rubbing his throat.  
  
"Yes, for the time being. But know this: I will torture you, every day. I will send a telepathic 'video', if you will, to your friends and family. I will tell them that if they do not surrender Kakarika and the gems to me, I will destroy you." The creature stroked Vegeta's cheek with a smokey tendril.  
  
"Let's put this plan into action. Scream for me, little one..."  
  
"KAKAROTT, KAKARIKA, ANYBODY, HELLLLLLLLLLLLLLP!!!" 


	8. The Turning Point

Chapter VIII - The Turning Point  
-------------  
Author's note: I might do a little Gohan-bashing here, for one simple reason: I don't like Gohan. He's too soft for my taste. And all you diehard T/P fans, people who think Trunks should never be paired up with anyone but Pan... you might want to stop reading here, because the relationship between Trunks and Kakarika will start to really become more pronounced.  
  
I apologize for how late this chapter is in coming, but I've been... preoccupied.  
  
FYI: Kakarika and the entire Alcoan race are mine. You may use them if you ask for my permission first. Also, Kakarika will be a recurring character in all my stories, though she will have different names and a different background, but her appearance is always the same.  
-------------  
I went down to the highway  
That runs between love and pride  
And I tried to get sideways  
Across the great divide  
But my mind's eye's on the key ring  
Crying in misery   
'Cause it won't spend one more evening   
Staring back to me  
  
It may be by choice   
Or a small inner voice   
I can't say  
When you add up the cost   
We all have a cross  
How do you write off the loss?  
  
Where do I go from here?   
How do I find my way?  
When is it loud and clear?  
That there's no turning back  
No looking back  
  
Where do I go from here?  
Nobody gets away  
It's a new kind of fix  
For the poor and the rich  
You never know what's coming next  
At the turning point  
  
The rules are unwritten   
And nobody knows the deal  
Where have I been driven  
Are demons behind the wheel?  
Yeah, I know my days are numbered  
We're only flesh and bone  
And I've been left to wonder   
How it went so wrong  
  
Is it all tailor made?  
Can the sinner be saved?  
I can't say  
So don't hang your hat  
On the knife in my back  
'Cause nobody treats me like that  
  
Where do I go from here?  
How do I find my way?  
When is it loud and clear?  
That there's no turning back  
No looking back  
  
Where do I go from here?  
Nobody gets away  
It's a new kind of fix  
For the poor and the rich  
You never know what's coming next  
At the turning point  
  
Where do I go from here?  
How do I find my way?  
When is it loud and clear?  
That there's no turning back  
No looking back  
  
Where do I go from here?  
Nobody gets away  
When is it loud and clear?  
That there's no turning back  
No looking back  
  
Where do I go from here?  
Nobody gets away  
It's a new kind of fix  
For the poor and the rich  
You never know what's coming next  
At the turning point   
---------------  
  
The Z Fighters had all gathered at the Capsule Corporation after an urgent rally by Kakarika.  
  
"The Dark Power is starting to rise. This may not be good. In addition, Vegeta is missing. After adding all this up, I've come to one conclusion: Vegeta's in trouble. It's too early to start this little war against the monster that's been plaguing this dimension, so we need to act quickly and get Vegeta back. But this won't be easy. I'm sure wherever he is will be heavily guarded, and Vegeta himself may be injured. Now, if we can just-"  
  
Kakarika was cut off by a swirling black void that opened up in midair in front of them. The others watched in wonder as a sleek, large, jet-black wolf stepped out of it.  
  
(Author's note: This wolf looks like Moro's pups from Princess Mononoke, only black. It also speaks like Moro.)  
  
The wolf looked around at all of them. Around its neck was a necklace made from clean white bones and eagle feathers. Its dark purple eyes mirrored the shocked faces of the Z Fighters.  
  
"Ah, Earth's protectors, all in one place. This makes things much easier." The wolf's fur looked more like it was made of night than of actual fur. Its tail was like a wisp of shadow.  
  
"What do you want?" Gohan asked angrily.  
  
"Nothing from you, little I'm-Afraid-To-Use-My-Power-To-Destroy-Cell-Though-I-Know-He'll-Destroy-Earth-If-I-Don't-But-All-I-Care-About-Is-How-I-Feel-And-I'm-Too-Soft-Hearted." The wolf sneered, "I wish to speak with the one you call Kakarika."  
  
The wolf turned to Kakarika. The Alcoan narrowed her eyes, snarling, "What have you done with Vegeta?"  
  
A shimmering holographic image of Vegeta appeared in the room. He was lying on his stomach, tail shredded. He was lying in a pool of blood, and Kakarika's tail whipped the air around her into a frenzy, whipping the wolf's fur back, revealing huge corded muscles.  
  
"Release him." Kakarika said in a voice so cold it would stop Satan himself in his tracks (no, I'm not talking about Mr.Satan).  
  
The wolf laughed. The laughter was so evil, so villianious that every horror-movie director would want to record it.  
  
"Vegeta is my guest." The image faded away, leaving the warriors in stunned silence, "He will remain alive if you turn over to me the five Elemental Gems: the gems of Fire, Water, Air, Earth, and Cosmos. The other gems: Thunder, Moon, Heaven, Hell, Life, Death, and Infinity are optional. I do not need all of them in order to control the ultimate power of the universe."  
  
"Fuck you!" Neo Shenron spat, "We're not giving those damn gems to the likes of you! Now release Vegeta and get back to whatever Hell you crawled out of!"  
  
Kakarika put a claw on Neo's serpentine back. She spoke telepathically, *Neo... he'll kill Vegeta rather than turn him over to us. We can't wish him back with the Dragonballs, because you are the manifestation of them. Since you came into the picture, the Dragonballs are dead.*  
  
"Very true, Kakarika. Ever the insightful one. And Neo, your spirit is like iron armor... I think that's what I'll call you. Tekkoryu: Iron Armor Dragon. Such a tough spirit is hard to come by, Kakarika... I'd keep a hold of that little draco, he might come in handy." The wolf howled... and disappeared.  
  
Though the wolf was not visible, it was still somewhere in the room. Suddenly, Trunks screamed.  
  
"To ensure you upholding your end of the bargain, I'll up the stakes a little." Came the disembodied voice of the wolf. Trunks disappeared.  
  
"Trunks!" Kakarika screamed, "Bakamono! Return him!"  
  
Kakarika dashed headlong outside, her tail knocking over vases and chairs. The others followed her, though they knew she couldn't catch them.  
  
-------------  
  
The creature moved at the speed of darkness, which is faster than the speed of light. Trunks was safely in custody, and Kakarika's apparent love for him would ensure that she'd gather the gems to pay for his release.  
  
-------------  
  
Kakarika launched into the air. Her voice quivered with rage, "Spread out. Search for any place that might be this creature's hideout. We're not dealing with a normal person here, check every shadow and dark place."  
  
Goku lifted a rock, "Trunks? Vegeta?"  
  
A large anime sweatdrop appeared on Kakarika's head, "I didn't mean like that, Goku."  
  
Goku laughed. The others sighed heavily.  
  
Kakarika's expression suddenly turned serious. She flapped her wings and lifted off the ground. The other warriors shielded their eyes from the blinding cloud of dust that accompanied her liftoff. Without a word, she flew towards the west, her tail flashing in the sunlight.  
  
Piccolo watched the young vagabond fly off, "We'd better move out."  
  
The search was on.  
  
--------------  
  
Kakarika swept the landscape, diving low to pass through forests and jungles. Her large wings tucked against her body as she slid through the trees like a missile. Her sharp eyes took in every little piece of landscape, searching for even a ripple in reality.  
  
She was so busy she didn't see the bird flying at her. With a squawk and a cry of protest, Alcoan and eagle collided at full speed. The two went flying in opposite directions, stunned.  
  
Kakarika recovered first, flying over to make sure the eagle was okay. She could see it sitting in the grass, dazed.  
  
As she came closer, she noticed that it wasn't an eagle, but rather a griffin. It was a magnificent sleek black color, with purple feathers here and there on its wings. As Kakarika landed on the grass behind the creature, it shook its head and gazed at her. Its eyes seemed to have no pupil, but rather the entire eye swirled in a multitude of ever-changing colors. Its eyes swirled a serene pale blue as it gazed at Kakarika.  
  
"You... you are the Traveler?" The griffin gaped.  
  
"Traveler? Well, I have traveled here from another dimension." Kakarika said slowly, unsure as to whether or not to trust this griffin.  
  
"Good, then you are the One. I have something for you, come here." The griffin beckoned with a single eagle-like talon.  
  
Kakarika arched her tail above her right shoulder, a position akin to a scorpion about to strike. The griffin pulled the skin behind his beak up in a sort of griffin-grin.  
  
"I understand your need to defend yourself." The griffin's eyes changed color to a dark blue and black, "Evil is all around us. But I have a litle item that may be able to turn the tide."  
  
With one eagle talon, the griffin held up a small jewel dangling from a silver chain. The jewel was a purple agate encased in a golden spiral. The agate swirled with black and purple. Power seemed to flow from it.  
  
"The Cosmos Gem..." Kakarika breathed, reaching out and telekinetically taking the gem from the griffin.  
  
"My name is Ssargon." The griffin's eyes turned a beady black, like a normal bird, "I am the prince of the griffins... and your new ally."  
  
Kakarika's gaze turned to the ruff of feathers around Ssargon's neck. On a golden chain was another gem. This one was a simple crystal that shimmered a pale blue. White clouds seemed to be entrapped in the shimmering crystal.  
  
"And... the Air Gem." Kakarika said.  
  
Ssargon nodded, "I am the Air Elemental."  
  
"Sure, you have the gem. And you ARE a griffin, which would be a suiting form for the Air Elemental, but how can I be sure? How do I know you aren't one of those dark creatures serving that monster that's been inhabiting this dimension?" Kakarika said suspiciously.  
  
"Perhaps a little demonstration is in order." With that, Ssargon lifted his head and raised his forelegs. He opened the talons as if to catch something.  
  
Kakarika watched in awe as the griffin's eyes turned to a pale blue with white clouds, the same color as the gem. Speaking of the gem, it was glowing brighter and brighter every second. Soon, it was too bright to look at, even with the Alcoan ability to see through bright lights.  
  
A howling wind kicked up, catching in Kakarika's wings like wind in a parachute. She hurridly folded her wings against her back and gripped the grass with her gargoyle-like claws. From nowhere came a brown tornado, growling as it advanced rapidly towards the two. The sky darkened from the dust and dirt it kicked up as it moved.  
  
"Stop! Stop! That's enough of a demonstration!" Kakarika shouted above the wind which was roaring like a savage beast.  
  
Then, in less than it takes for one to blink one's eye, the sky was clear and the tornado was gone as if it had never existed. The birds resumed their cheery song, so out of place in the dark situation. The dust and dirt that the tornado had been hurling settled to the ground, the only proof that the tornado had ever actually been there.  
  
"So, you ARE the Air Elemental." Kakarika looked satisfied. She put on her own gem and instantly was overwhelmed with the psychic boost it gave her. In response to her touch, the gem began to glow purple.  
  
"And you are the Cosmos Elemental." Ssargon confirmed.  
  
Her mind opened like a blooming flower, tendrils of thought reaching through the forest. She could sense each and every animal as they went about their daily lives. Her tail twitched as she listened to the bird's twittering.  
  
"This world is faced with total annihilation and birds are still singing..." Kakarika sighed.  
  
Then it hit her. She had a mission! She couldn't waste time chatting while Trunks was in danger... oh yeah, Vegeta was too, but who cared about him? Her wings opened with a rush of wind and a sound like a sail opening.  
  
"Leaving so soon?" Ssargon sighed. He opened his wings as well and prepared for takeoff.  
  
"Two of my friends are in danger, and I must find them." Kakarika replied.  
  
Ssargon nodded understandingly. Had he been in the same situation, he wouldn't waste any time. He lifted up from the ground, watching as Kakarika followed his lead.  
  
"Shall we go?" Ssargon smiled.  
  
"You're coming... with me?" Kakarika sounded unsure.  
  
"Of course!" Ssargon squawked as though she had just asked if the sky was blue. He cleared his throat and returned his normal purling speech, "I mean, you'll need all the allies you can get."  
  
Kakarika didn't protest any more. Before long, they were flying through the trees, occasionally calling to each other to mantain contact.  
  
Suddenly, a wave of dizziness hit Kakarika head on. She landed on the undergrowth of the forest, shaking her head to clear it. Ssargon landed nearby.  
  
"Do you feel that?" Ssargon hissed, "It's... not exactly evil. More like... confusing. It's almost as though reality itself was twisted. Even the trees prove that."  
  
Sure enough, the trees were bent, twisted. Kakarika's psychic senses were going crazy, the strain felt as though she was being pulled in two. Suddenly, her vision began to whirl, the trees all blending together into a haze of green. She felt Ssargon's warm feathers brush against her and she realized he was experiencing the same thing. Then, as suddenly as it had begun, the trees stopped whirling and everything settled to normal. But it wasn't normal. The lush green trees were now blackened by fire.  
  
"What's this?" Ssargon sounded shocked.  
  
"How... how could trees burn that fast? I didn't feel any heat or anything!" Kakarika gasped.  
  
"I don't think they did." Ssargon said, his eyes narrowing to dangerous-looking slits, "These trees have been this way for a while. I think we were transported somewhere."  
  
"No!" Kakarika shouted. She grabbed Ssargon by his neck feather and shook him, "I've got to save Trunks! My mission isn't completed!"  
  
Ssargon choked, "You're going to tear out my feathers! I wanted you to get a grip, but not like that! Let go and calm down, I'm sure there's a reasonable explanation for all of this."  
  
Kakarika released the griffin prince and looked him over. He began brushing his feathers back into place with his taloned front feet. It was then that Kakarika realized he was standing on his hind paws, and rather comfortably too. His lionlike tail lashed from side to side appeasingly. Kakarika's tail was straight out behind her, ready to conk someone upside the head.  
  
"Well, let's get going." Ssargon said, doing his patented 'griffin-grin' again.  
  
"Get going? Where?" Kakarika said. Her tail began waving like a charmed snake.  
  
Ssargon laughed, dropping down to all fours, "I want to find out where we are."  
  
Ssargon began to walk, picking his way through the singed undergrowth. Kakarika followed, keeping her wings tucked in to keep the delicate tissue from being burned by the still-warm trees. Times like this, she thought, she was glad she had thought to wrap bandages around her feet as protection.  
  
As the two came out of the forest, they saw a broken-down house, apparently a tourist site or something because of the guardrails around it.  
  
Kakarika cried out, "I know this place!!" 


	9. Lost in a Lost World

Chapter IX - Lost in a Lost World  
  
----------------  
I woke up today, I was crying,  
Lost in a lost world,  
Cos' so many people are dying,  
Lost in a lost world.  
Some of them are living an illusion,  
Bounded by the darkness of their minds,  
In their eyes, it's nation against nation against nation,  
With racial pride, sad hearts they hide  
Thinking only of themselves, they shun  
The light. They think they're right  
Living in their empty shells.  
  
Oh can you see their world is crashing  
Crashing down around their feet  
And angry people in the street,  
Are telling them they've had their fill  
Of politics that wound and kill  
Grow, the seeds of evolution  
Revolution never won  
It's just another form of gun  
To do again what they have done  
With all our brothers' youngest sons.  
  
Everywhere you go you'll see them searching  
Everywhere you turn you'll feel the pain  
Everyone is looking for the answer  
We'll look again, come on my friend  
Love will find them in the end  
Come on my friend we've got to bend  
On our knees and say a prayer.  
  
Oh can you feel the world is pining  
Pining for someone who really cares,  
Enough to share his love,  
With all of us. So we can be  
An ever loving family.  
Have you forgotten we're all children  
Children from a family tree  
That's longer than a centipede  
And started long ago when you  
And I were only love-  
  
I woke up today, I was crying,  
Lost in a lost world,  
Cos' so many people are dying,  
Lost in a lost world.  
-----------------------  
  
"This is a place in southern Oregon called the Oregon Vortex. I saw it on a show once. This place is a doorway between dimensions, where balls roll uphill and nothing is as it seems. But when I left, it was intact. Something tells me that this evil being could have done this." Kakarika said, turning her head this way and that, trying to make sense of things.  
  
As Kakarika flew upward and Ssargon followed, they noticed the cloud of smoke still hanging above the fire-damaged forest. As soon as they broke through the cover of the trees, Kakarika looked around. What she saw shocked her.  
  
The world she had once known was now a wasteland. The sun was blocked out by the smoke that covered the atmosphere like a blanket, suffocating everything that hadn't been burned. The heavy air was thick with the smell of fire, sulfur, charred flesh, and... something else. A reeking odor, the smell of demons. The sky was lit with an eerie orange glow from the flames that licked the horizon. Ssargon coughed, his eyes whirling into red and black swirls, the color of the sky. Kakarika's eyes reflected the terror in front of her.  
  
"I've got to get home! What if my family's in danger!" Kakarika cried. Her Alcoan mind had an internal compass, and her human heart knew the way. The lost dragon turned to the north and flew as fast as she could, a stream of brilliant blue light following her.  
  
Ssargon watched after her, "I'll never catch her unless I transform. PHOENIX RISING!"  
  
As the griffin prince shouted out those last two words, flames enveloped his body. His griffin body melted and reshaped into the body of a phoenix. The fiery firebird flapped into the flame-darkened sky, following his wayward ally.  
  
-------------------------  
  
Kakarika halted in midair, staring down at the burned-out graveyard of houses that she had once called home. She hovered over the singed grass that had once been the field of the high school she had once attended. The school itself looked to be ruins hundreds of years old, though only two years old.  
  
"I left a kid. I return a warrior." Kakarika said, bravely despite the waver in her voice.  
  
She slowly flew towards the skeleton of her home, the only house that was still standing, though horribly burnt. The acrid smell of burned paint assaulted her senses as she flew in her window. The glass had been shattered and then melted, the screen ripped with jagged claws. She tore the screen from the window and flew inside, landing by her shredded bed. As she looked around her room, now even more messy than before, her eyes caught a glitter amid the wreckage. She dug through the broken stuff and came up with the four dragons that she kept on her windowsill.  
  
One was a snowglobe, with a wizard holding a staff and a crystal ball. Next to him were fluffy-looking clouds, golden stars, and a rainbow. This supported the globe itself, which contained a green and purple dragon hatching from an egg.  
  
The other one was a maroon eastern dragon, an import from China. It looked a lot like Shenron, only shorter. In its right foreclaw, it held a ball. Its mane seemed to be swept back from an unseen wind. The entire figurine was made of a sort of maroon material.  
  
Another was similar to the second, but its left foreclaw stood upon a ball. Its mouth was open in a roar or maybe a laugh. Red gemstones made up its eyes.  
  
Finally, the last one was the best. On a rocky base stood a blue dragon. It was standing as though it had just spotted someone, its legs spread protectively, its head alert, turned towards the intruder. Its fan-like ears were tucked against its wedge-shaped head. One wing was half-extended, the other folded against its back. One foreclaw was raised in an offensive posture, the other one hovering protectively over a brownish-yellow glass ball.  
  
But there was another figurine there that Kakarika had never seen before. It was a red dragon, larger than even the maroon Chinese dragon. The dragon's fiery scales sparkled as though they had been dipped in glitter. The dragon had a narrow, pointed snout with wicked-looking fangs. Its fiery crystal eyes bored into Kakarika's very being. It stood on its hind legs, its foreclaws stretched out and cupped together, as though to give something to Kakarika. In its cupped claws it held a spherical crystal, slightly smaller than her fist. Inside the crystal swirled red and orange flames, though the crystal itself was not hot to the touch. Kakarika reached for the crystal, and as she did, the large sphere sprouted a golden chain with tiny links. Awestruck, she drew back as though the flames leaping inside the spherical gem would strike her.  
  
"Take it." A voice - the dragon? - whispered in her ear, "Take it. Protect it. He must not have it."  
  
Obediently, Kakarika grabbed the gem and held it in her hand, feeling the soothing warmth it eminated.  
  
"You are not the one." A multitude of voices whispered.  
  
"I know." Kakarika whispered back, "This is not my gem."  
  
Ssargon flew in the window. As he landed on the floor, the burned floorboards creaked, alerting Kakarika. Abruptly the voices halted and the silence rushed to fill the space they had occupied.  
  
Ssargon looked at the gem Kakarika held in her hand, "The Fire Gem! Where did you get it?"  
  
"I found in the claws of this..." Kakarika turned to point out the red dragon statue, only to find it gone, as though it had never existed, "... dragon."  
  
Ssargon looked skeptical, but didn't have time to question her as Kakarika walked sullenly out into the hallway. There, at the top of the stairs, was the sight she had never wanted to see.  
  
Kakarika could only speak one word, "Angel..."  
  
Angel, Kakarika's... Kelli's... Australian Shephard/Kelpie crossbreed was lying on her side at the top of the stairwell. Her gorgeous brown and yellow eyes were closed behind brown-furred eyelids, giving her the appearance of sleep. Her sleek brown fur coat, dotted here and there with tan and white in a way the breeders had called 'dapple', was matted and dirty. There was no sign of a struggle, no sign save for the raised fur on Angel's neck and back. Kakarika shook her head, running back to her room. She grabbed Ssargon by his arm and flew out of her home. Though Ssargon was confused, Kakarika was far from unthinking. She had left her home out of fear... fear that she would find her family in the same condition as her dog.  
  
Kakarika didn't go far. She landed on the ruined field and waited until the confused Ssargon landed in front of her.  
  
"He's been here. That demon that took Trunks... he's been here. He was looking for the Fire Gem, but I got it first." Kakarika was about to tell more, but she didn't have the chance.  
  
People came from nowhere, surrounding the two travelers. They wrapped chains around the griffin and Alcoan, binding them together.  
  
Ssargon's eyes clouded over, the same thing he'd done when he was about to use his Air Element powers.  
  
"No!" Kakarika hissed, "These are innocent people. We can't harm them."  
  
Ssargon's eyes changed back to normal, his feathers settling back into position. The ragged people began dragging the travelers back to wherever they had come from.  
  
-----------------  
  
Kakarika awoke without ever remembering falling asleep. They were traveling through a dark tunnel, the sound of cart wheels on rock and dripping water were the only sounds that could be heard. Ssargon was alert, his head turning this way and that, a fierce gleam in his eyes.  
  
Groggily, Kakarika turned her head as much as she could, gazing at Ssargon beneath heavy eyelids.  
  
"Where've we been going and how long have I been sleeping?" Kakarika was surprised at the way her voice sounded, drunken and slurred.  
  
Ssargon said mildly, "The Spirit of the Saved, as they call themselves, drugged you using some sort of psychic device. It didn't affect me, since I don't use psyche. I faked sleep for a while, but I was watching where we were going. There wasn't much to see. We were loaded onto these carts and hauled off underground, where we've been for the past two hours. They tried to dump us off and take our Gems, but I snapped at them and they thought better of it." Here, Ssargon snapped his beak as a demonstration. A few of their captors that happened to be close to the cart jumped about a mile and moved farther away.  
  
"Did they say what would become of us?" Kakarika was strongly considering going Stellamancer on their asses.  
  
(Author's note: A 'Stellamancer' is one of my own words, since Aquamancer would be a wizard who uses water and so on, so forth, I made Stellamancer as a wizard who uses the power of the cosmos. If there is a real word for this type of wizard, e-mail me at SnakeVnm8@aol.com)  
  
"They're going to kill us and take our Gems, that much I know for sure. I heard them talking... we're going to an underground city where they will burn us alive." Ssargon said dryly, as though they had said they were going to walk to the moon and carry it back for dinner.  
  
"Sounds like fun. Maybe they'll toast marshmallows over our funeral pyre." Kakarika laughed, then turned to their captors, "Hey!"  
  
Some of them looked at the smiling Alcoan. Kakarika laughed, "Hey, when you burn the bird here, do you want regular or extra crispy?"  
  
Some of the people looked confused, others began whispering amongst themselves. Finally, someone who appeared to be the leader spoke up, "Shut up, demons. We're going to kill you for what you and your kindred have done to our homes."  
  
"Demons? Our kindred?" Kakarika looked confused, "Look, dude, I think you've gotten us figured all wrong. I'm not a demon, I'm an Alcoan. I came here by accident and found the Fire Gem, which is needed to rid this other dimension of a very evil demon. I need to get back to that dimension ASAP to rescue a couple of my friends. This griffin here with me is an ally, the keeper of the Air Gem, another Elemental Gem needed to complete the process."  
  
Another person stepped forward. When the dim light from the torches hit him in the face, Kakarika's breath caught in her throat where a lump formed.  
  
"Sh... Shawn?" It was Kakarika's... Kelli's... older brother.  
  
"How do you know me, bitch?" Shawn cursed.  
  
"Shawn... it's me... Kelli, your sister. I've undergone a few changes, but it's me!" Kakarika said, her voice ringing out in desperation.  
  
"Prove it." Shawn snorted.  
  
"Well, your full name is Shawn Patrick McClary. Your room had a lot of pictures of bands on the walls, bands which I didn't much care about but you loved. Whenever you saw me, you'd automatically tell me to shut up, even if I hadn't said anything." Kakarika said calmly.  
  
"Kelli?" Shawn's tone held a note she'd never heard before... hope.  
  
"Yeah! I was sent to another dimension to protect it from a demon. If I would've known it would happen, I would've told you and Mom and Dad and Angel." Kakarika said, her voice cracking at the mention of her dog's name. The cart stopped and people climbed on to release Ssargon and her.  
  
As soon as they were free, Kakarika walked over to her brother, "Tell me, Shawn. What happened here?"  
  
"Some demon of darkness came into the world and began wreaking havoc. He didn't have a name, he said that it was for The One to figure out. Anyway, he said that he had heard that the Fire Gem was here under the protection of a red dragon, and that he wanted it. Fortunately, he didn't get it. He ravaged the planet looking for it, even sent his evil Minions after it. Soon, he gave up and left this dimension to pursue The One, but he left the Minions here in case the Fire Gem showed up. When you got it, we assumed you were a Minion, and we wanted to destroy you before you could bring the gem back to the demon." Shawn explained, "Now that I've told you our story, you tell me yours."  
  
"Well, I don't remember exactly where I was when it happened, but all of a sudden I was in the middle of this city, in the form you see before you. I met up with some people and I was given my mission. There's really not much to tell. I've teamed up with the Z Fighters and a couple of others, Ssargon here, and a little dragon named Neo Shenron." Kakarika explained her own story.  
  
"Where is this Neo Shenron?" Shawn asked, looking around as though he might pop out of nowhere.  
  
"He's not here. He stayed behind to guard Bulma and the others should the demon return. He also told me that since he is the embodiment of the spirit of the dragonballs, it'd be better if he stayed behind." Kakarika sighed, missing the little oriental dragon's squeaky voice.  
  
Shawn nodded, "You'd better get back. I never thought YOU'D end up saving the world, but hey, lately nothing has been as it seems."  
  
Kakarika laughed slightly and began to spark and glow, "I can use my newfound teleportation skills to get to the surface. Don't worry, I will return."  
  
"Oh, and Kelli?" Shawn said with a smirk, "... shut up."  
  
And then she was outside, in the rank air.  
  
"Well, I'm sure it was nice seeing your brother again." Ssargon said good-naturedly.  
  
"That wasn't MY brother." Kakarika replied, "And this isn't MY home. This is... some other dimension, my world's future, if you will. This world is to my world like Future Trunks' timeline was to the Z Fighters."  
  
The Fire Gem was warm in her hand, reminding Kakarika of her mission. Slowly, she flew south, towards the Vortex from whence they came.  
  
On the way, Kakarika began to marvel at how she had acquired the knack for flight. Before she had 'acquired' this form, she had a fear of heights. Now, she could dip and soar the greatest of eagles, rising up to the bellies of the cirrus clouds and diving to the murky depths of the ocean, all without fear or hesitation.  
  
As they reached the Vortex, Kakarika turned to the ruined landscape, whispering, "One last gift."  
  
Using her limited Geomancer skills, the trees grew bright green, dripping with dew. As soon as this was done, the trees swirled together and the journey through time and space began once again.  
  
"... Goodbye, Shawn." Kakarika whispered. 


End file.
